Tubular metal crutch.



' PATENTED MAR. 31.1903.

rr., CONN. TUBULAR METAL CRUTCH.l

APPLICATION FILEDJUNE 20, 1992.

No MODEL.

Jimmy.

Fig. 3.

" VNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOSHUA CONN, on DUNKIRK, NEW YORK, AssIeNo'R To REUBEN W.

WRIGHT, OF DUNKIRK, NEW YORK,

TUBULAR METAL O'RUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,382, dated March31, 1903.

Application iiled June 20, 1902.

To all whom t mfr/y concern:

Beit known that I, JOSHUA CONN, a citizen of the United States, residingat Dunkirk, in

ihe county of Chautauqua and State of New- `lessening the weight andstrengthening the same. y

This invention also relates to certain details of construction, all ofwhich will be fully and clearlyhereinafter described an d claimed,

is a detached plan view of the locking-collar.V

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached bottom view of the block. Fig. 6 is anenlarged det-ached central vertical section through the rubber' cushion.

In referring to the drawings for the details of construction likenumerals designate like parts.

The crutch-body is preferably formed of a light grade of seamless steeltubing, such as used in bicycle construction. In the preferredadaptation shown one piece of tubing is bent at the top to form theconcaved arm part l, and two side portions or members 2 and 3 extenddownward from said arm part and are slit and brazed together near theirlower ends to form the single tubular lower part 4. A suitabletransverse tube 5 is brazed in place between the side portions toconstitute a hand-grasp. The lower extremity of Serial No. 112,408. (Nomodel.)`

the part 4 is tapered and exteriorly screwthreaded, as shown at 6, andis provided with one or more slots 7. A tube 8, in which a spiral spring9 is incased, is telescoped in the part 4. The tube 8 is movedlongitudinally in the part 4 to lengthen or shorten the crutch and islocked in its adjusted position by tightening a screw-collar 10 on thescrew-threaded slotted extremity 6. The upper extreme of .the tube S isinternally screw-threaded, and a tubular screw-plug l1 is screwed intosaid eX- treme, against which the upper end of the spring 9 abuts, andthe tension of said spring is varied by the longitudinal adjustment ofthe plug, said plug having one or more depressions 12 in its top edgefor the reception of aturning implement. A rod 13, which may be hollowor tubular, if desired to lighten the construction, extendslongitudinally within the spring and has its lower end screwed into alower tube 14, the upper end of which engages against the lower end ofsaid spring. This tube 14 is attached to the lower end of the rod 13 andhas twosubstantially opposite longitudinal slots l5,into which the innerends of screws 16 extend. The screws 16 pass through the enlarged lowerend 17 of the tube 8. (See Fig. 2.) A block 18 is adjustably anddetachably secured to the lower end of the tube 14, said block having avertical internally-screw-threaded openin g l9,which screws on thescrew-threaded vlower end of the tube 14 and is held in its desiredposition by alocknut 20. The opening 19 enlarges at or near the middlelportion of the block to constitute a depression or recess 2V1,and thewalls of said recess are provided with an inwardly-extending shoulder orrib 22. A rubber cushion 23 is adapted to be sprung into the recess 21and has a groove or depression 24, in which the shoulder or rib 22seats. A spur 25 is also preferably screwed into4 the lower end of Ythetube 1:4 and has a sharpened lower end which is adapted to projectthrough an opening 26 in the cushion 23 when theblock 18 is screwed upsufficiently high on the tube 14.

The block 18 and cushion 23 may be attached, itvdesired, directly to thelower end of the tube 8,thereby dispensing with the spring.

The principal advantages of the inventiony reside in the increasedstrength and dura- IOC bility secured with a lghterand cheaperconstruction and the rigidity of the crutch against lateral or sidestrain,which is chieiy owing to the integral construction of the body.

I claim as my inventionl. A crutch-body ot a single piece of tubing' 4.A crutch having a tubular part, a tube telescoping in said tubular part,a spring in said tube, a rod tensioned by the spring, a second tubefastened to the lower end of the rod with its upper portion extendinginto the lower portion of the first-mentioned tube and having alongitudinal slot, and a screw or similar device extending through therstmentioned tube and into thelongitudinal slot, substantially as setforth.

5. A tubular metal crutch having a tubular lower portion which istapered screw-thread ed and slotted, a tube telescoping in said lowerportion and longitudinally adjustable therein to lengthen or shorten thecrutch, and alocking screw-collar on said lower portion, substantially'as set forth.

' JOSHUA CONN. Witnesses:

L. M. SANGSTER, GEO. B. NEUBAUER.

